Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-10-22


Then he suddenly swerved 10 the right and
put ON the pace, and l saw the great wedge
curl round, and before tho foe could check
himself and turn to meet It, strike him about
half way dowa his length with a crashing,
rending sound, like the breaking up Of vast
sheets Of Ice In sank the great wedge into
his heart, and as 1t cut its way hundreds OF
horsemen were thrown up on either side OF IL,
just as tho earth Is thrown up by plow-
share, or, more like still, as the foaming water
curls over beneath the bows Of rushing
ship. In, yet In, vainly does the tongue twist
It's ends round in agony, like an injured snake,
and strive to protect its center; still farther
in, by Ieaveni right through, and so, amid
cheer after cheer from our watching thous-
ands, back cgain upon the severed ends, beat
ing them down, driving them ns q gale drives
spray, till ct last, amid tho rushing of hun
dreds of riderless horses, the flashing of
swords, end the victorious clafnor OF their
pursuers, the great force crumples up like an
empty glove, then turns and gallops pell nell
for safety back TO its own lines.
do not think it reached them moro than
two-thirds as strong as IL went out ten min
utes before. Tho lines which wero now adj
vaneing to the attack opened and swallowed
them up, and my forcc returned, having suf-
fered loss Of only nbout five hundred men
not much, thought, considering the fierce
ness of the struggle could also see that the
opposing bodies Of cavalry on our left wing
wero drawing back, but how the fight went
with them do not quito know. II Is as
much as can do to describe what took place
Immediately around me.
by this time the immense masses Of tho en-
cmy's left, composed almost entirely Of Mas
| tas swordsmen were across the little stream,
and with alternate yells of "NastaD and $50
rails" with dancing banners and cleaning
swo.ds were cwarming up toward us like
| ants.
Again / received orders TO try and check
| this movement, and also the main advance
AGAINST tho chest OF our army, by means Of
cavalry charges, and this did to the best Of
my ability by continually sending squadrons
OF about thousand sabers out against them.
alsiicso eqr.drcrs did the enemy much dam
! are. and 10 was glorious sight to stssthem
flash down the hillside and bury themselve
hike living knife IN the heart Of tho fee.
But, clso, wo lost many met, for after thetx-
perienco of couple of these charges which
had drawn sort of bloody ST. Andrews
cross Of dead and dying through The centerof
Ncsta's hosts, our foes 10 longer attempted to
offer an unyielding front to their Irresistible
weight, bet opened cut to let the rush go
through, throwing themselves on the ground,
and hanistIinGing hundreds Of horses as they
pasocd.
And 30, notwithstanding oil that sse could
do, the enemy drew nearer, till ct last hs
hurled himself upon Goods force Of 1880
regulars, who were drawn up to receive them
IN three strong squares About tho same
time too, oil awful and heart shaking roar
told me thGt tho main battle had closed In OH
tho center end extreme left. | raised myself
in my c.irrups and looked down to my loft;
so for rs tho eye could see there WINS long
dazzling Simmer Of steel as the sun glanced
upon falling and thrussing spear.
TO md fro swung the contendiaE lines In
that dread struggle, now giving Hsyy, now
cairing little in the mad yet ordered confu-
sion of attack and defense. Rnt it was as
much cs could 90 to keep count of what waei
happening to our own wing; and, as for thu
moment tho cavalry had fallen hack under
cover OF Goods three square,, had a fair
view Of this
rsissst's sgild swordsinen were now breaking
in red waves against tho sullen rock like
/ -
their war cries, and hurl themselves furi0tMy
against the long triple ridges of spear points,
only to ls rolled back as pillows are when
| they meet the cliff
And SO for four long hours to baltic ragged
! almost without pause, and at tho end OF
that time, If we had gained nothing we had
lott nothing Two attempts to tnrn our left
Jank, by forcing way through the wood by
- HaI o&o.1.
end as yet Nasta's sworrlsnen had, notwith-
| standing their desperate efforts. entirely
Called to brea,: Goods thyec squares, though
they had thinned their numbers by quite a
third.
As for TIE chest Of tho army, where Sir
Henry was with his staff and Umsopogaas, it
had suffered dreadfully, but It had held its
own with honor, and the same may be said
IF our left battle.
At last the attacks slaciScned and Soiais'
armydrew back, having, began to think,
bad enough o; it. On this point, however,
was soon undeceived, for, splitting up her
cavalry into comparatively small squndrons,
she charged us furiously vita them oil along
the line and then once more rolled her tens of
thousands Of sword and spear men down
upon our weakened squares and squadrons--
OUAatio uSlStih oih1Suuts tuO AiofSiutHb duu,
fearless as lioness, heading tho main attack
On they came like an avalanche--I saw her
golden helm cleaning In the van.-our coun-.
ter charges OF cavalry entirely failing to
check their forward sweep. Now they had
struck Us, and our center bent in like bow
beneath tho weight of their rush-it parted,
and had not the 10, 900 men in reserve charged
down to its support it must have been de-
stroyed. AS for Goods three squares, they
were swept backward like boats upon an In
coming tide and the foremost one was burst
into and lost half its remaining mon. But
the effort was too fierce and terrible to last
Suddenly the battle came, as it were, to
turning point and Tor minute or two stood
etill
Then It began 10 move toward Sorais'
camp. just then, too Nasta's fierce and al
most inyincibA hishlanders, either because
they were disheartened by their losses or by
way of a ruse, fell back and the remains OF
Goods gallant squares, leaving the positions
they had held for so many hours, cheered
wildly.and rashly followed them down the
slope, wherein the swarms Of swordsmen
turned to envelop them AMI once more fang
themselves upon them with YELL. Taken
thus on every side, what remained of the first